Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne’s demise left the world in a state of shock. Aged 52, his news of death in the early hours of Friday, 4 March, sent the world into a state of comatose. Tributes poured in from all across the world about the maestro’s ability and legacy that turned the art of wrist spin into a significant force in world cricket at a time it was struggling to find its place.
Speaking on the impact of Warne in the world of cricket, premier Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin poured his heart out and said that the new generation bowlers can forget about matching Warne’s tally of wickets. Ashwin, talking via his YouTube channel, delved into the art of spin bowling and what actually made Warne brilliant at what he did.
“Warne brought spin as an attacking commodity,” narrated Ashwin. “Even when there wasn’t much happening on the surface, Warne used to take wickets with his sheer intimidating presence.”
Revealing details of a chat he had with Rahul Dravid, India’s second highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game stated that Warne had a unique story behind his rise.
The right hander stated that to be a leg spinner, one needed to have strong shoulders and had to spend hours in the nets to master the craft.
“There is a sport called Aussies Rules Football. It is a sport like rugby. It seems Warne wanted to play the sport but was not built for it since people who play it are tall and well-built blokes. So, they used to bully Warne and it seems he broke both his legs while playing. He couldn't walk and was on bed rest. For 3-4 weeks he walked or rather floated using his bare hands and that made his shoulders strong and there was no looking back," the bowler revealed.
Warne, at the time of retirement, was and still is the second-highest wicket-taker in the world. He amassed 708 wickets from 145 Test matches and shared an exceptional rivalry with Anil Kumble and Muthiah Muralitharan.